Question 1

The purpose of a preheater is to remove some of the free water on the raw cement mix. Less
energy is needed for cement mix to be heated up and remove the rest of the free water in the
dehydration zone.
Question 2
A) Four Different Zones:
Dehydration Zone
Calcination Zone
Solid State Reaction Zone
Clinkering Zone
B) Calcination Zone is where the biggest mass loss occurs. This is because in this zone
limestone is decomposed into carbon dioxide gas and the bounded water (water that is
not free) in the clay is removed.
C)
In this question the total weight of the raw mixture was taken as 1000 grams

From calculations, the emitted gas - CO2 has the weight fraction of :

285.8127011
1000

which

is about 28.58% of the raw mixture.

The produced gas from the mix is CO2. In order to improve global sustainability in
construction materials, CO2 should be reduced because it contributes to global warming.
During the manufacturing process of the raw mixture, using alternative fuels such has waste
oil, used tires and rubber to replace fossil fuels can reduce the amount of CO2.
Enhancing the durability of structures equates to a longer service life. This method reduces
the emission of CO2 because it prevents the removal and rebuilding of structures which uses a
lot of natural resources and energy.
Question 3
A) The overall heat evolution curve for ordinary Portland cement and C3S hydration are very
similar because C3S takes over 40 to 70% of cement.
B) Calcium Silica Hydrate (C-S-H) is the most important hydration product because it
provides the cements major cohesive force and ultimately determines the strength of the
cement. C-S-H is produced by C3S, C2S.
C) C3A is the main contributor during the rapid heat release period which causes the
cement to quickly harden if not mixed with gypsum to slow down its reaction.
D) Not True. The Dormant period is the period where the reactions become very slow.
E) If gypsum is completely reacts before C3A in the cement then the sulfate ions in the
pore solution decreases rapidly. This results in the ettrignite to become unstable and
convert into monosulfoalluminate.

Question 4

Question 5
The surface texture of an aggregate attributes to the workability and bond between the
aggregate and cement paste. Coarse aggregates attribute to the bond while fine aggregates
attribute to the workability of the cement paste. Therefore, coarse aggregates have the biggest
effect on the mechanical properties of concrete. WRITE ITZ
Using coarse aggregates to form concrete requires higher cement to water ratio than fine
aggregates. Too much water in a cement mix causes a loss of strength in the cement mix.
Coarse aggregate results in larger voids in the cement mix. This means that the concrete has
greater permeability which leads to more potential for harmful substances to enter the
concrete and attack, thus reducing the durability of concrete.
Question 6
Pozzolanic reaction is the chemical reaction with calcium hydroxide (CH) and water that
leads to the formation of cementitious products like C-S-H

Hydraulic reaction is the chemical reaction with water that produces C-S-H.
Thus, the biggest difference between both reactions is that the Pozzolanic reaction requires
calcium hydroxide(CH)to form cementitious products.
Pozzolanic material: Silica Fume
Hydraulic material: Portland Cement
Question 7
A)
By adding a water reducing admixture (WRA) the water to cement ratio is reduced. The
reduction in water to cement ratio means that the cement mixture is denser. A denser cement
mixture reduce the volumes of voids which equates to a less permeable concrete and greater
compressive strength.
B)
Adding WRA to a cement mixture lowers the water to cement ratio which means that less
water is needed to cause the concrete mix to slump. The slump of concrete mix relates to its
workability, therefore, WRA allows the mix to become more workable.
Question 8
A)
Due to weather conditions (temperature and wind) the main problem for the concrete is that it
will lose water due to evaporation.
The loss of water causes the concrete to stiffen and greatly reduce the concretes setting time
which resultantly decreases the concretes workability. The high temperature causes the
hydration process within the concrete to occur quicker. Although, this gives the concrete a
higher compressive strength initially, the concrete will result with less ultimate compressive
strength overall.
Also, 10 miles of concrete pavement is a large surface area that is undergoing this issue of
water evaporation which makes it difficult to mitigate this problem because of the large scale
of the pavement.
B)
There are multiple methods to mitigate the issue of water evaporating from the concrete.

C)

Spraying the concrete with water

Covering the concrete with a rug can prevent moisture loss
Curing compounds results in water to be unable to escape from the concrete

After bleeding and evaporation, the water to cement ratio (w/c) decreases because it escapes
from the concrete.
??
Question 9
For load controlled testing, the load applied to the concrete is kept constant. The concrete
specimen is pressed between loading plates and the ends of the specimen are made unable to
move due to the friction force between the loading plates and concrete specimen. The test
results in the crack splitting parallel to the load. Whereas, displacement controlled testing
involves the concrete specimen to be compressed by a machine under small increments of
displacements.
Displacement controlled testing is the ideal method to use because it is easier to set up.

Question 10
The durability problem that can be most concerned with marine structures is corrosion.
Corrosion occurs by the chlorides in the seawater that diffuse into the concrete and attack
oxide film which protects the steel component. This attack, weakens the concrete.
Further, the amount of corrosion is dependent on the permeability of the concrete as it
governs the rate of chloride ions that diffuse into the concrete.
Question 11
A type of distress that ASR causes is map cracking in the concrete. The cracking is caused by
the concrete experiencing internal expansive pressure from the gel which is formed by ASR.
ASR is caused by the chemical reaction between the reactive silica components found in
aggregates and the concretes alkaline pore solution. The result of the chemical reaction is a
gel that expands as it absorbs water. The volumetric change within the concrete causes the
concrete to experience pressure. Due to the pressure, the concrete will begin to crack and
ultimately result in failure.
ASR can be avoided by using the following options: non-reactive aggregates, supplementary
cementitious materials (SCM) and controlling the amount of moisture entering the cement.
Using non-reactive aggregate means that there will be no reactive silica components which
can react with the concretes alkaline pore solution to cause ASR.
SCMs are able to mitigate ASR because they can replace some amount of cement to be
affected.
By keeping moisture from entering the concrete, there is less water to cause the gel formed
by ASR to expand and cause damage to the concrete.